Cliche
by frequentlydaaaazled
Summary: Edward and Bella aren't used to cliches. But Edward goes away for college and Bella falls in love with one who isn't him; one who plans to marry and settle down with her. Can their own cliched history outweigh the potential of new pathways? What are they counting on?


**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters. This is the product of recent insomniac episodes.**

**Hello,  
I apologise to those waiting on a continuation of 'Breathless', I honestly do. I just let that one slip away. This is an idea that came to me while waiting for sleep to take over... it never did. I don't know where it's going or what's happening with it. Or whether or not I should leave it as it is. Review me and I'll see if you like it and decide if it's worth keeping. I appreciate you taking the time to read, thank you. **

**There may be minor errors, or major errors; in time placement, grammar, spelling, character development. I'm sorry, I'm so tired and had to write this down in an hour before I forgot. Please bear with it.**

"You can't possibly understand. I mean, you're Edward Cullen and I'm… Bella."

The way he glared at me was enough to paralyse for days on end and I knew then, in that moment, I would never get the opportunity to speak about this again. Edward understood. Not in the same way I experienced this, but _I know_ that _he knows_ what it actually feels like. But we were on opposing ends; he had 'options', no love or relationships, just options. I rarely ever let anyone in on this cold heart and intimidating exterior. Never.

I heaved a heavy sigh, "Look, I don't have low self-esteem and I'm not saying this for pity-points. I'm a realist. I'll take what I can get."

"Bella," he growled.

Through the tension that surrounded us, I knew that I had to intervene before either one of us said something we might regret. "Jacob might be the only one for me. You know I don't believe in this soul-mate bullshit, and I'm certainly not saying he is 'the one.' I'm just saying he might be the only one that could ever really… love me the way he does."

Edward Cullen, high school extraordinaire turned college boy brilliant.

He is the man that your father would one day approve of, and the young boy whose hand every girl wanted to hold. Edward exceeded in everything he did and was the poster child for every parent-pamphlet in existence. Captain of the soccer team, student body president, and a mind so extravagant in both scholarly material and creativity, he still found the time to open his entire being to those who would care to listen. Biology partners in freshman year, best friends the next seven. I know it sounds cliché but I can't deny myself this one truth.

For some ridiculous reason, he still found the time for me. I'm not going to lie and be afflicted with false modesty. I knew that, at one point in time, Edward Cullen fooled himself into thinking that he might be a little interested in the plain Jane. When I first heard of this fleeting rumour, I made the immediate decision to crush any chance of it furthering, all for his benefit. What if, one day, he realised he could do better than Bella Swan? I know him, and I know that he would rather stick around and be miserable because of a 'commitment' he made instead of breaking it off to pursue bigger and better things, or women, or whatever. He is passionate to a fault. In some parallel, crazy universe, it made sense; the high school heartthrob falling for the best friend after senior year. But, alas, four years on and unfortunately he and I still exist in this universe.

His eyes were like daggers penetrating through the distance that carried all secrets between us. My mind raced and heart dropped, and my mouth could not form the words I so desperately needed to attach to these damn thoughts. In a moment, pity flashed through his forest green eyes, which only fuelled my anger more.

Edward's words were merely a whisper but they clung to every fibre of my being like a livewire. "Bella, _you_ don't understand. I've been spending these past couple of months trying to figure out the right way to say this but nothing is turning out the way I'd… anticipated. I don't care anymore. I'm just going to say it. Don't worry, once it's out there you can decide to walk aw-"

"Bella!"

Another cliché. Of course, as fate would have it, there was Jacob turning on the side-street off of Le Petit. Le Petit, the secret place of Edward and Bella, and Jacob merely marched his way towards our corner booth, almost as if to stomp sacred ground with contaminated, muddy shoes. Mrs Barker dismissed his outburst and waltzed towards us, carrying the same order we made four hours ago, and last month, and the months since our first biology assignment 'date' those five years ago, leading up to _his_ departure: a large white mocha for Edward and a regular caramel latte for Bella. Except now, as a fourth year college students, I've opted for the small skinny and Edward for a regular.

Jacob eyed us suspiciously as I vaguely recalled telling him that I was meeting up with a friend, though I did not specify whom. Had he known that Edward was the friend in question, he would have thought twice about not 'accompanying' me. To be honest, I could hardly remember anything outside of, or before this heated conversation; this conversation that started five hours ago. It is no wonder that, when I received the distressed call from Edward this morning, I completely forgot that tonight was date night. In light of recent events, though, Jacob could hardly blame me.

I met Jacob at college. It usually starts that way, right? Well, the usual things then happened, I suppose. The clichés.

Except, with this one, I wasn't comparing him to my silly high school crush. Jacob, like myself, lived on campus and commuted every other weekend, to initially visit his father on the Res, right by where I lived in Forks. We discovered an intertwined history and a commonality. Both of us chose a college closer to home; I needed to be with my dad, Charlie, and he needed to take care of his pre-teen sister, Leah, who Billy, in his fragile state, could 'hardly keep up with'. Charlie and Billy were apparently old mates in the policing academy and both have suffered at the hands of their chosen paths. I guess it made sense for Jacob and I to form a fast friendship, but I wasn't expecting all that followed**. **He would offer to drive up with him and, on those trips, Edward's engraved face on my mind gradually disappeared. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I was in a committed relationship. I couldn't fathom it and kept thinking it would end after a few months but Jacob was my sense of comfortable and, soon enough, I fell in love. Cliché.

Edward just wasn't around. He pursued his career in law school at Stanford University. I know, he's not halfway across the country like his twin sister Alice in NYC or older brother, Emmett, at Columbia – who I was also rather close with – but, the way he disappeared, he may as well have gone to Australia. I missed him and I know he missed me but, in his emails, I assumed he was having the time of his life. Doing whatever and whoever he wanted.

Edward and I stayed in touch through the magic of the World Wide Web, but it's never the same. The Cullen clan were a tightknit family and all three siblings would commit to coming home for each break. Esme and Carlisle, who worked at the hospital as a nurse and M.D. respectively, never failed to announce a community countdown upon their return. It would always be the three of us waiting on them at the airport. Edward and I would spend those short weeks together and pick up as though he never left. When Jacob entered the picture, the whole dynamic changed. Admittedly, I stood confused whenever we all hung out as a group. It was tense and awkward and no one would be themselves. The last mid-semester break, Charlie, Billy and Leah came to Portland and we spent the entire time exploring Oregon. I'd heard, from Esme, how 'distraught' the family had been, 'family' meaning Edward. I knew it would happen and I may have deliberately planned it. But Jacob was set on being my future, and for that to happen I could not go back to whatever inhibited all affection towards him. Edward.

"Jacob." Edward nodded. Jacob stared at him blankly and returned his tight-lipped nod.

Edward let out a frustrated sigh and ran his long, piano-playing fingers through the mop of bronze that rested atop his perfectly chiselled face. Jacob slid in beside me and made a disgruntled sound, throwing one large arm over my shoulders to stake a territorial claim. I'm not dense. I know how the animal kingdom works. He wrapped one hand over mine, the one that rested on the table too close to Edward's open palm, and brought it to his knees. At a loss for action and words, I decided to take a sip of my coffee only to realise it was tasted far too much like chocolate, and that it was actually Edward's, and that I didn't really mind.

My eyes on the patterns in the cup and my mind on anything but the way Edward's eyes were on me, I tried desperately to say something… anything. Through the electrified atmosphere, I prayed for Edward to strike up conversation but I knew his silence would outlast my own.

Jacob caved first. "What the hell is going on here?"

Edward's head struck up and my own brown eyes met with his. So much pain. I gripped tighter onto Jacob's warm hand and moved into his embrace. I felt his thigh brush up against my own and there it was. The outline of a tiny box in his pocket; containing an extravagant jewel that I first had to say 'yes' to before wearing, on the fourth finger, of my left hand.

* * *

This wasn't a cliché. The rain wasn't pouring down on his front porch and there was no epic musical score in the background to accompany me. Our sky had become a vibrant display of pink and orange as the sun began to trade its place with the moon – like I was trading places with… my potential self. It took me five hesitated steps backwards before I could move forward and knock on the hard panel four times. It took him a quick three seconds to appear before me, and I knew then there was no more backing down. Two tries. This has got to be it.

He looked tired. The words were out of my mouth before I could think them through properly, again. "Edward, I'm saying yes. Jacob, well, I wasn't right before… about him, about everything. Edward, I'm marrying him. So, if you have anything to say, you have to say it now."

With more than I wanted to admit, I hoped he would object. It was selfish, and I'm acting like a middle school girl, begging for unwarranted attention. Praying, wishing, believing that Edward Cullen would speak the _one_ thing that needed to be heard.

"I never took you for a cliché."

Zero.

**Thank you for reading! Please, leave your review.**


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